Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH

Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences

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Overview

From 1998-2009 Dr. Klausner was a Deputy Health Officer, Director of STD Prevention and Control Services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, member of the UCSF School of Medicine faculty in the Divisions of AIDS and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at San Francisco General Hospital. While in San Francisco Dr. Klausner helped identify key factors associated with the increased spread of HIV and STDs and implemented multiple novel public health prevention programs. He helped create the St. James Infirmary, the first occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and Magnet, a community-based peer-run sexual health clinic for gay men.
From 2009-2011 Dr. Klausner was Branch Chief for HIV and TB at the Centers for Disease Control in Pretoria, South Africa, helping lead the South African PEPFAR program for care and treatment.

After returning from South Africa, from 2011-2021. Klausner was a senior faculty member in the UCLA Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine and the Department of Epidemiology at the Fielding School of Public health. At UCLA, Dr. Klausner was the Principal Investigator for multiple NIH-funded networks, projects and studies on sexually transmitted infections in Peru, Botswana, South Africa, Vietnam, Haiti, Pakistan and India antimicrobial resistance and HIV prevention.

Dr. Klausner’s research interests are in applied epidemiology and the prevention and control of infectious diseases of public health importance like HIV, STDs, TB, COVID-19 and cryptococcal infections. Dr. Klausner has a particular interest in the use of technology—information, digital, and laboratory—to facilitate access to treatment for disadvantaged populations. Dr. Klausner has been funded by the NIH, CDC, private pharmaceutical and test manufacturers to study the benefits of new ways to find and treat infectious diseases. Dr. Klausner is a frequent advisor to the CDC, NIH and WHO and a popular public speaker. Dr. Klausner is a highly sought after mentor who has trained dozens of fellows, residents and students of medicine and public health.

Awards

  • American STD Association: Young Investigator Award, 2001
     – 2001
  • Beyond AIDS: Nettie Award, 2008
     – 2008
  • Centers for Disease Control: Jack N. Spencer Award, 2016
     – 2016

Education and Training

  • Cornell University, Ithaca, NY — AB — 05/1986 — Chemistry and Art History
  • Cornell University Medicall College, New York City — MD — 05/1991 — Medicine
  • NYU-Bellevue Hospital, New York City — 06/1994 — Internal Medicine
  • Harvard University, Cambridge, MA — MPH — 05/1995 — Epidemiology and International Health
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA — 06/1997 — Epidemic Intelligence Service
  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA — Fellow — 06/1998 — Infectious Diseases

Research Funding

  • STIs and Pre-Term Birth
    NIH · R03AI199976 · Jul 15, 2026 – Jun 30, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • V-STAR – Vietnam Research Training Program on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance
    NIH · D43TW012743 · Jul 16, 2025 – Mar 31, 2030 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pilot study of linezolid for early syphilis treatment
    NIH · R21AI173988 · Nov 22, 2022 – Oct 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Evaluating STI screening and antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae among PrEP users in Vietnam
    NIH · R21AI157817 · Feb 5, 2021 – Jan 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Clinical Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Cefixime Versus Penicillin G for Treatment of Early Syphilis
    NIH · R01AI155217 · Jul 13, 2020 – Jul 31, 2027 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • The diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pregnant women to prevent adverse neonatal consequences
    NIH · R21HD100821 · Feb 22, 2020 – Jan 31, 2022 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Clinical Study of STI Screening to Prevent Adverse Birth and Newborn Outcomes
    NIH · R01AI149339 · Jan 7, 2020 – Dec 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Syphilis Immunology and Biology to Improve Clinical Management and Vaccine Design
    NIH · R01AI139265 · Sep 1, 2018 – Oct 31, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Reducing excess broad-spectrum antibiotic use in gonorrhea
    NIH · R21AI117256 · Apr 19, 2016 – Mar 31, 2019 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pilot Study of STI Screening and Treatment for PMTCT
    NIH · R21HD084274 · Sep 23, 2015 – Jul 31, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Controlling Drug Resistant Gonorrhea with Real-Time PCR Susceptibility Testing
    NIH · R21AI109005 · Aug 15, 2014 – Jan 31, 2017 · Role: Principal Investigator

Publications

  • Perceptions of acceptability and preferences surrounding a hypothetical syphilis vaccine in Lima, Peru. Int J STD AIDS. 2026 Aug; 37(9):1026-1034.. View in PubMed
  • High-throughput profiling of the IgG and IgA response to the Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum proteome in syphilis patients. mBio. 2026 07 08; 17(7):e0082026.. View in PubMed
  • Identifying communities at elevated risk of hepatitis C infection in Los Angeles County: an ecological study using machine learning. BMC Public Health. 2026 06 09; 26(1).. View in PubMed
  • Monitoring and Improving Time to Treatment for Syphilis. Sex Transm Dis. 2026 May 12.. View in PubMed
  • Comparing Phenotypic Susceptibility Profiles of Neisseria gonorrhoeae for Tetracycline and Doxycycline. Sex Transm Dis. 2026 Jul 01; 53(7):e45-e49.. View in PubMed
  • Use of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 and Type-2 Antibody Tests for Targeted Screening for Genital Herpes. Sex Transm Dis. 2026 Oct 01; 53(10):e78-e81.. View in PubMed
  • Serum Cytokine Levels among Syphilis Patients before and after Treatment. Sex Transm Dis. 2026 Jun 01; 53(6):366-368.. View in PubMed
  • Can Doxycycline Prophylaxis Indirectly Reduce Congenital Syphilis? Clin Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 30; 82(4):e889-e891. Gopalkrishnan K, Kyaw T, Klausner JD . . View in PubMed
  • Strong Real-World Evidence That a Single Dose of Benzathine Penicillin G or a 28-Day Course of Oral Doxycycline Is Not Inferior to 3 Doses of Benzathine Penicillin G for the Treatment of Late Latent or Unknown Duration Syphilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 30; 82(4):e852-e854.. View in PubMed
  • Does the evidence support circumcision of infant males in the United Kingdom?-a systematic review. Transl Androl Urol. 2026 Apr 27; 15(4):139.. View in PubMed